A hushed & muted father in 40 years of marriage [K K Raina] is comforting his son [Madhavan] who’s on the edge of making
the hardest decision to get out of his dysfunctional marriage; and you can
clearly eavesdrop on the mother complaining hysterically about this late night
discussion. Towards the end of the conversation, the agitated father gets up,
picks up a floor-wiper and breaks the only lit tube light in the house. The marriages
anywhere on earth can bring the same effect on any one who claims to be sane. But
then, there is always a way to escape the complications. Paying no attention and
enjoying your regular spell of drinking could be one, as suggested by the
father in the film but divorce is just not so done. How can we not have Tanu
and Manu in same frame if the film has already pictured them as a couple? We dare
not.
Despite managing a wonderful plot for a sequel, TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS prefers
to join the successful league of highly entertaining bollywood films that might
go for a clumsy climax and a fake happy-ending just for the sake of audience’s
approval. The best part is you have a pool of talents and the powerhouse herself
at your side, Kangana Ranaut if you want to play straight; so definitely no one
is gonna raise his eyebrows over this preferred choice of not going bold but
staying regular.
Four years is a term looking too much to be in marriage for the temperamental
Tanu [Kangana] and maddened Manu [Madhavan]. Their latest verbal spat has landed
Manu in mental asylum and Tanu in killing loneliness. She returns to her zone,
of ex-boyfriends, fewer limitations and an all flying high life with no strings
attached. Manu meets a mirror image of Tanu and falls in love instantly. This new
entrance [the overpowering double role of Kangana] is a Haryanvi athlete- a lot
rough in her vocals but much more susceptible and sensitive within. Meanwhile,
returns Pappi [Deepak Dobriyal]- the uproarious friend who never runs out of droll
one-liners. Then, there is Raja Awasthy [Jimmy Shergil] adding the drama led by
power, passion and attitude. Zeeshan Ayyub plays your regular mean and tricky one-sided
lover who considers himself belonging to a certain ‘kandha’ type men known for
offering their shoulders to broken girls to cry at.
TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS takes off from the base of its prequel and lands
up in the territory of ‘RAANJHNAA’. Aanand L Rai being the powering team-lead
and Himanshu Sharma the delectable writing force, it doesn’t fail as an
experiment. Film guarantees uncontainable laughs especially in the first half
before the ineptness in the screenplay starts bothering you soon. Be it the wedding-scene
where Pappi kidnaps his ‘whats app’ female friend to marry just because she
would reply on his even lamest jokes with ‘LOL’ text messages or where Swara
Bhaskar sounds like she had done anything unethical in going medical way to
conceive a child without telling her husband; the second half eventually becomes
the rush-rush, hush-hush mission to meet the forged happy ending. When would we
stop pretending that marriages are not done until the very last ‘phera’? When
would we stop taking our climaxes to the ‘mundup’ at the very final moments?
Anyways, keeping my issues aside; it’s a film that establishes Kangana’s
success in QUEEN wasn’t a fluke. She surfaces as a towering performer in both
her roles. No matter what get up, what accent she’s into; Kangana is there to spellbind
you. Her flawless performance gives you goose bump moments we rarely experience
or expect from Bollywood films. Madhavan is equally competent. His charms never
fade. His kind, compassionate and fragile Manu makes his own place in your
hearts. The casting is superbly accomplished.
Overall,
TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS is a film made for laughs! Frequent laughs! Fabulous laughs!!
If only Aanand L Rai had not been so conservative about divorces, film would
have been blessed with a much appreciative climax. Watch out for the ‘Queen’ whose
vivacious presence alone makes every penny of yours a ‘worth it’ investment to
gain super-sized entertainment! [3.5/5]
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